ok so ive read and tested and read some more but im getting no where. so here is my problem i have a 2004 ex w/ 95k on the odo. It has not given me any problems till 2 days ago. i drove the truck to work and back no problems, plugged the truck in as my usual routen every night its been geeting around 15deg. so morning go to start truck just cranks and cranks, not even a sputter. so come home from work figure maybe fuel gelled up put a big heater under the truck while i checked the fuel filter and the batteries found no gelling and also added diesel 911 to the tank as well as some fresh fuel go to start nothing just cranks. so i decide to call it a night a it was way to cold at night. fast foward next night come home determined, i got home and had the batteries on charge over night so tried again nothing, with the help of my friend he brings a can of starting fluid over and shoots it in the filter to see if it will fire up sure as **** cranks maybe 3 seconds and fires up and runs perfect. now i turn it on and off another 5 times start and sounds great.. so i drive it to my familys house for christmas armed with a can of starting fluid now (just in case). i stay for about 5 hr's come out go to start same problem just cranks so pull out the starting fluid fires right up idles great. pull out i make it to the end of the street and starts to miss then cuts off just the engine all lights and gauges are normal no check engine and no codes on the autozone scanner i had. so no its will start inttermittent idle for 1-5 minutes then sputter and stall. i checked for charging 13.5 -14.5 volts cleaned all battery connections checked oil level, fuel filters are not even 1k old, oil changed 2k ago. checked ficm voltage 48.7 even when it stalls or is hard starting. im at a loss of direction at this point i was sure it was going to be an ficm issue as the truck is hot and will just crank and if i use starting fluid it will fire and stay running EVERY time till it stalls out.

Thanks in advance and hope your having a better christmas then me

 

I think you may have a fuel heater in the HFCM or VFCM.

Try unplugging it.

 

Remove the ICP connector and see if it starts up, starting fluid is not recommended and a good way to do damage to your engine.

 

FWIW, I just had the same problem. It wound up being the FICM for $1200.

I hope its not in your case. Merry Christmas.

 

i just started right up drove it around the block let it cool off for about an hour then i would just crank... so then i looked at the vfcm no heat, looked at the hfcm has 3 connectors witch one is for the heater? i also tried unplugging the icp on the passanger valve cover with no change.

fast forward let it sit and let me think i went over ALL the battery connections again and i layed under the truck and checked all postive and grounds found the smaller ground wire that goes from the block by the crank balancer to the frame to be broken off so i just grabbed my jumper cables to ground the block to the frame and it has started right up every time SO FAR but tomorrow i will go get a new ground cable and see if this is the fix i dont want to get stranded again im gonna try it every couple of hours and see if that is the fix.

I hope this is the fix ...and i will post back if it is the fix ,as alot of these threads go cold and you read 5 pages of quessing and they never tell you the fix at the end. Thanks for the help Merry Christmas!

 

Did you test the voltage at the ficm??
ive hear of a few being bad and testing 48v but not very common..

 

tried it no luck.. and i agree with you 100% on the starting fluid but in a emergency ill risk it.. ive build many engines and ive seen melted pistions etc from it not good if you load it up.

 

The ether won't melt your piston, but you risk a broken piston or bent rod in a worst case due to the glow plugs igniting the ether way before TDC. When my John Deere will not fire over when it's below 20 deg.F I disconnect the glow plug module and use ether to get it running.

 

Don't know which one on the HFCM is the heater, Ford ultimately deleted the heater in the HFCM but it remained on the VFCM at least to the 2005 model year.

What I found is that the heater can cause fuel to vaporize under certain circumstances, and vapor lock -- no start.

I disconnected it for those times, (reconnected for winter) and it is fine.


Good luck --- lets hope it is just a bad ground wire.

 

Ok sooo i spent the morning removeing the ground wires repaired everything start it up a couple of times she seems good to go. get about 1/2 mile down the road and dies and will not restart. idk where to go from here checked again for any codes none so is there any other tests i can do... i have a feeling its gotta be fuel system related just by the way it acts like the pump is shutting off.

i decided to order an egt, fuel pressure and boost gauge since i have no idea the fuel pressure. and im buying the AE code reader im determined to get this thing fixed

 

Well i got my AE finally and it looks like the camshaft sensor is not working and not getting sync to the ficm.

 

Owch.

That is a cheezit issue... you are beyond me.

I work with stone tools and flint knives.

 

haha yea i build race big blocks old school carb engines and love them so simple.. Now all the newer trucks you cant do a damn thing without a computer. But at least autoengunity makes a awesome product. the dealer said 2 weeks till they can get it in and $200 to diag the problem

 

Can someone tell both of us how to fix a sync issue?

Or is it my standard "take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning" fix?

 

Check the CMP wiring. The sensor very seldom fails. If I can post this document it will tell you how to diagnose the sync/no sync problem.

Basically it says if you have no FICM sync it's limited to the circuit between the FICM and PCM AND the CMP sensor circuit from the PCM to the sensor. That's why I'd check that circuit first. Sometimes the o-ring on the sensor fails and oil contaminates the connector giving a corrupt signal. That would be an easy temporary "fix".

http://www.fordtechservice.dealercon...FICM_Guide.pdf